Design, fabrication and characterization of a conducting PDMS for microheaters and temperature sensors

In this paper, we present the design and fabrication procedure of a conducting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and then evaluate its potential uses for heating and temperature sensing. The conducting PDMS was made up of a mixture of a PDMS prepolymer and metallic powder. Depending on purpose, i.e. heater or sensor, different weight ratios of the powder and geometric shapes were considered. Characterization of both the microheaters and the temperature sensors includes stability, repeatability, durability and time response. The results suggest that the microheater is feasible for constantly heating at a fixed temperature instead of running thermal cycles. The optimal heating range was estimated below 100 degrees C under the current setup and a power consumption of 210 +/- 12 mW was needed for 92 degrees C. Hysteresis and time lag were observed in the temperature sensor. Accordingly, the sensor is recommended to be used for long-term monitoring instead of rapid temperature detections.